Providing a quote template in a multi-tenant database system environment

Abstract

In a method, system, and computer-readable medium having instructions for providing a quote template in a multi-tenant database system, information on a selection of a first database object is received for use in creation of a document template, representations for one or more database fields related to the first database object are displayed on a user interface and a database field related to the first database object has a database field of the first database object or a second database object related to the first database object and a representation of the database field may be selected on a layout for one or more documents that can be created with the document template, information is received on the layout of a document to be created with the document template and the layout of the document template has one or more selected database fields related to the first database object, and rendering information is generated for the document with information on the layout in the document template in a target format.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving input indicating a selection of a first database object to be used in creating a document template in a multi-tenant database system; 
 retrieving a list of database fields related to the first database object; 
 generating a graphical representation for each database field in the list of database fields retrieved from the first database object, the graphical representation for each of the database fields forming at least a part of the document template; 
 displaying, in a user interface, the graphical representation for each database field related to the first database object; 
 storing layout information of one or more selected graphical representations of one or more database fields in the document template in the multi-tenant database system; and 
 rendering a document in a target format using the layout information in the document template. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the layout information for a document element comprises at least one of a document part, a row coordinate, a column coordinate, a document section, and identification information for a selected database field related to the first database object for display of a value for the selected database field related to the first database object in the document. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the layout information for a document element comprises a document part designation of at least one of a header, a body, and a footer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing an identifier for a particular database object and an identifier for the layout information of the document template; 
 generating rendering information for at least a portion of the document in an intermediate format using the layout information in the document template; and 
 providing at least the portion of the document in the intermediate format to a conversion module to generate at least a portion of the document in the target format. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a rich text editor for creation of rich text area in the document template. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first database object has a database field that refers to a second database object related to the first database object, and wherein the database field has a reference to a foreign key for a database table of the second database object related to the first database object. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is a visual template editor. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving input indicating the selected graphical representation of a database field; 
 receiving input indicating layout information generated from at least one drag and drop action performed on the selected graphical representation, wherein the forming the document template is based on the input indicating the selected graphical representation and the layout information. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an intermediate format document based on the document template, the intermediate format document being usable for forming the document in the target format. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rendering the document in the target format comprises rendering, at runtime, values in the document that are stored in a database and that relate to the database fields associated with the selected graphical representations. 
     
     
       11. A computer-readable storage medium having one or more instructions thereon for providing a quote template in a multi-tenant database system, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to carry out:
 receiving input indicating a selection of a first database object to be used in creating a document template in a multi-tenant database system; 
 retrieving a list of database fields related to the first database object; 
 generating a graphical representation for each database field in the list of database fields retrieved from the first database object, the graphical representation for each of the database fields forming at least a part of the document template; 
 displaying, in a user interface, the graphical representation for each database field related to the first database object; 
 storing layout information of one or more selected graphical representations of one or more database fields in the document template in the multi-tenant database system; and 
 rendering a document in a target format using the layout information in the document template. 
 
     
     
       12. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the layout information for a document element comprises at least one of a document part, a row coordinate, a column coordinate, a document section, and identification information for a selected database field related to the first database object for display of a value for the selected database field related to the first database object in the document. 
     
     
       13. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the layout information for a document element comprises a document part designation of at least one of a header, a body, and a footer. 
     
     
       14. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , the instructions further comprising:
 providing an identifier for a particular database object and an identifier for the layout information of the document template; 
 using the layout information in the document template; and 
 providing at least the portion of the document in the intermediate format to a conversion module to generate at least a portion of the document in the target format. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , the instructions further comprising:
 providing a rich text editor for creation of rich text area in the document template. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the first database object has a database field that refers to a second database object related to the first database object, and wherein the database field has a reference to a foreign key for a database table of the second database object related to the first database object. 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface is a visual template editor. 
     
     
       18. A system, the system comprising:
 a processor; and 
 one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out:
 receiving input indicating a selection of a first database object to be used in creating a document template in a multi-tenant database system; 
 retrieving a list of database fields related to the first database object; 
 generating a graphical representation for each database field in the list of database fields retrieved from the first database object, the graphical representation for each of the database fields forming at least a part of the document template; 
 displaying, in a user interface, the graphical representation for each database field related to the first database object; 
 storing layout information of one or more selected graphical representations of one or more database fields in the document template in the multi-tenant database system; and 
 rendering a document in a target format using the layout information in the document template. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further carry out:
 wherein the layout information for a document element comprises at least one of a document part, a row coordinate, a column coordinate, a document section, and identification information for a selected database field related to the first database object for display of a value for the selected database field related to the first database object in the document. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further carry out:
 providing an identifier for a particular database object and an identifier for the layout information of the document template; 
 generating rendering information for at least a portion of the document in an intermediate format using the layout information in the document template; and 
 providing at least the portion of the document in the intermediate format to a conversion module to generate at least a portion of the document in the target format. 
 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further carry out:
 providing a rich text editor for creation of rich text area in the document template. 
 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first database object has a database field that refers to a second database object related to the first database object, and wherein the database field has a reference to a foreign key for a database table of the second database object related to the first database object. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the user interface is a visual template editor.